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Access the Age-Friendly Communities Planning Guide
Step 1: Define Local Principles
| AFC Planning Questions | Key Tasks |
| 1. Are all the right voices at the table? (Governance) |
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| 2. What is the vision for your work together? (Vision) |
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In this step, you will learn how to create a planning structure around a local initiative and determine which AFC domains are most relevant to your community.
Defining local AFC principles is fundamental to grassroots community development and is a task any dedicated group of individuals can complete. This section highlights approaches that communities have used to begin their age-friendly planning.
You will learn about the process to:
- form a steering committee to provide leadership to the local AFC initiative by deliberating, making decisions, providing strategic direction, advocating for the cause and ensuring accountability.
- build your team to gather people from various backgrounds, professional disciplines and experiences who are willing to help create and promote a vision for your AFC initiatives.
- define roles and responsibilities, consider a Terms of Reference and governance structure so that members of your team have clear roles and responsibilities.
- create infrastructure and consider funding since each community is different, some AFCs seek grants or municipal funds early for planning and community consultation, while others seek funding later to support implementation. Regardless, it is important to consider funding early.
- create guiding principles to act as a moral compass and foundation to help steer your decisions and ensure commitment to the initiative over time.
- create an Age-Friendly Community profile, which is a snapshot of your community’s current age-friendly status.
- discuss goals using the information from your AFC vision, steering committee and community profile.
Read more about Step 1 in the Creating a More Inclusive Ontario: Age-Friendly Community Planning Guide.
Tools to Support Your Work
The following tools can be found in the Creating a More Inclusive Ontario: Age-Friendly Community Planning Toolkit to support Step 1:
- Power Versus Interest Grid
- Terms of Reference Worksheet
Online Resource List
- Create Your Steering Committee Worksheet (MAREP Waterloo)
- Accessibility Advisory Committees (Government of Ontario)
- Key Informant Interviews Overview (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research)
- Age-Friendly Cities Project Methodology: Vancouver Protocol (World Health Organization)
- Holding Effective Public Meetings Tip Sheet (Planners Web)